Knowledge transfer and university patents in Mexico

Abstract

Purpose The aim of this paper is to examine the factors that influeunce the ability of Mexican public universities to generate patents. Academic patents are deserving of increasing interest as channels for the transfer of knowledge from universities to firms. Design/methodology/approach A review of the international literature on the main factors that explain the production of patents was undertaken. On the basis of this information, a database for 80 Mexican universities was built and a model estimated. This model has three components: the institutional characteristics of the universities, the presence of a technology transfer office, and the socioeconomic environment. Findings The results from the econometric analysis show the positive effects that universities' size and scientific quality, the existence of a technology transfer office, and the socioeconomic environment have on the applications for patents. These results show the complexity of academic patents as a channel for transferring knowledge and...